100Escapade ÉditionsVia ferrata world Top 100
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World rank64

United States · Estes Park, Colorado

Cloud Ladder Via Ferrata

Via ferrata Cloud Ladder

A truly vertical American line, long and on two bridges, whose extreme reputation is reflected without depending on social popularity.

Verified93.1

Score / 100
4 distinct sources

Experience profile · editorial diagramUnknown
Type
Outdoor via ferrata or fixed-equipment experience
Duration
Unknown
Grade
Not documented
Best period
Check locally

Why it enters the Top 100

An experience ranked for its story and distinctiveness.

The Cloud Ladder ascends the vertical wall of Deville Rocks to the summit of South Cathedral Mountain via approximately 900 feet of cable and two suspension bridges. Completed in 2021, it is rated black to double black by the operator and requires a KMAC guide; the complete route is announced to take five to seven hours. The operator claims the steepest via ferrata in North America; Smithsonian describes it as the steepest in the United States, which supports verticality without turning the superlative into absolute truth.

What sets it apart: The Cloud Ladder climbs the vertical wall of Deville Rocks to the summit of South Cathedral Mountain via approximately 900 feet of cable and two suspension bridges.; Completed in 2021, it is rated black to double black by the operator and requires a KMAC guide; the complete route is announced over five to seven hours.; The operator claims the steepest via ferrata in North America; Smithsonian describes it as the steepest in the United States, which supports verticality without turning the superlative into absolute truth.

Score breakdown

Median / 5
Power of story4.4
Singularity4.8
Emotional and sensory intensity4.9
Rationale for travel4.5
Strength of evidence4.8

Traceability

The facts behind the profile.

  1. The Cloud Ladder ascends the vertical wall of Deville Rocks to the summit of South Cathedral Mountain via approximately 900 feet of cable and two suspension bridges.

  2. Completed in 2021, it is rated black to double black by the operator and requires a KMAC guide; the complete route is announced to take five to seven hours.

  3. The operator claims the steepest via ferrata in North America; Smithsonian describes it as the steepest in the United States, which supports verticality without turning the superlative into absolute truth.

Geographical precision: Coordinate of the area or locality, not of the start of the via ferrata; Do not use for terrain navigation.